Sven Schulze, the Minister-President of Saxony-Anhalt (CDU), warned that his state faces a threat of governmental paralysis given the current polling figures. He also voiced apprehension that the upcoming state election could be interpreted as a repudiation, or a punitive vote, for the broader national government led by Friedrich Merz (CDU).
Speaking to the TV network “Welt” on Thursday, Schulze stated, “I do not want this election in Saxony-Anhalt to become a negative sign for governmental work in Berlin. I realize that many people here in Saxony-Anhalt are unhappy with what they see coming from the federal level. Of course, I feel that way as well, but this is about our home region, Saxony-Anhalt”.
While he maintained that his personal standing remains strong, according to polls, Schulze noted that the majority of people still favor him as their Minister-President. However, he believes that the national governance efforts of the CDU and SPD in Berlin are counterproductive to his local campaign because they are overshadowing genuinely regional issues. In recent weeks, the focus of national parliamentary discussions, such as the 2.50 Euro surcharge on diesel fuel or increased costs of living, has been dominant.
Schulze pointed out that while citizens are aware of federal disputes, such negativity is detrimental to his cause. He stressed that the electorate needs to be reminded that state-level issues are the ones that ultimately matter here.
Refusing to speculate on the lifting of the cooperation ban with the Left party or the potential dismantling of the “brick wall” (a common reference to deep political division), Schulze expressed confidence that the public’s opinion will change before election day. He emphasized, “Right now, if these polls were election results, this state would be ungovernable. That is clear. We must fight to achieve better results, and I am sure that the election results on September 6th will be different from what we see in the polls today”.
Furthermore, Schulze defended the claim made by his predecessor, Reiner Haseloff (CDU), which suggested that a significant victory for the AfD party could devalue the state’s educational diplomas. He stated, “That is the truth”. According to him, anyone reviewing the AfD’s platform must question whether the diplomas earned by students in Saxony-Anhalt would still be recognized by universities outside the state.
Addressing students at a local gymnasium, Schulze promised that he would fight to ensure they do not receive rejection letters from universities in cities like Hamburg, Düsseldorf, or Munich-citing the risk that their diplomas would not be recognized because of previous political interference in the school curriculum specific to Saxony-Anhalt.